


Different House

by HPxObsessedFan



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-27
Updated: 2017-08-27
Packaged: 2018-12-20 15:54:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,236
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11924211
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HPxObsessedFan/pseuds/HPxObsessedFan
Summary: Honor Rose Potter grows up happy with her family, and she's gonna takes Hogwarts by storm. (On hold until I can think on how to write an article about Sirius)





	1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1 Hogwarts Letter

Third Person's Pov:

Honor Rose Potter lived happily with her uncle and aunt, Vernon and Petunia Dursley. Honor has lived with them since her parents were killed by an insane Dark Lord.

Honor knew she was different from her family. Ever since she was little, she had known she was a witch. Her aunt and uncle told her that an old man named Dumbledore dropped her off in the middle of a cold winters night on their doorstep, and ever since they told her that, she knew should had to follow her instincts when she was around other people.

Honor knew that her life was about to change, and she didn't know if that was a good or bad thing.

Honor's Pov:

Hi! My name is Honor Rose Potter. I'm 10 years old, I have blonde wavy long hair, blue eyes, and fair skin, I look like my aunt. I'm a witch. Yes, you heard me, I'm a real witch with magical powers. For instance, sometimes when I'm feeling a powerful emotion like anger, sadness, or happiness, my hair and eyes changes colors. I'm so excited to be going to Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. My letter should arrive soon.

As I was picking out an outfit to wear today, I looked around my room. I have to say that it's very beautiful, the walls were a deep purple with gold flowers, the carpet was white, and so were the curtains. My bed was a twin size canopy bed with a soft golden bedspread, there are two white bookshelves filled with all kinds of books from the muggle world and the wizarding world. The reason why I have books on the magical world is because they came with the trunk that was filled with my parents James and Lily Potter's things.

Anyway, enough about that, it's my cousin Dudley's birthday today, so my aunt and I were cooking and baking a cake for him. I quickly got dressed in an light pink long sleeved shirt, black jeans, and light pink flats with tiny black bows. Lastly, I brushed my hair and put a light pink headband with a bow on top. Later on after breakfast, I went to get the mail. There were three things lay on the doormat: a postcard from Uncle Vernon's sister Marge, who was vacationing on the Isle of Wight, a brown envelope that looked like a bill, and - a letter for me.

Miss. H. Potter

The Smallest Bedroom

4 Privet Drive

Little Whinging

Surrey

The envelope was thick and heavy, made of yellowish parchment, and the address was written in emerald-green ink. There was no stamp.

Turning the envelope over, my hand trembling, I saw a purple wax seal bearing a coat of arms; a lion, an eagle, a badger, and a snake surrounding a large letter H.

"Aunt Petunia, Uncle Vernon! My letter came!" I exclaimed running into the kitchen smiling and jumping around.

"Calm down sweetie, and write a response." Aunt Petunia said smiling and shaking her head at me.

Dear Who it may concern,

I would be happy to attend Hogwarts this year. Please send someone to pick me up to go shopping.

Honor Potter

I was so excited, I remember from my mother and father's journal that Hogwarts is divided into four houses: Slytherin, Gryffindor, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. Slytherin stands for ambition and cunning, Gryffindor stands for bravery and courageous, Ravenclaw stands for the intelligent and wise, and Hufflepuff stands for the loyal and dedicated. Personally, I think that I could be in either Slytherin or Ravenclaw.

Now I have to wait for someone to excort me to Diagon Alley.


	2. Chapter 2: Diagon Alley

AN: Some of this chapter is from book 1...

Honor's POV:

Today I'm going to Diagon Alley with Minerva McGonagall, the Transfiguration professor at Hogwarts. I got dressed in light blue dress with a white bow, light blue flats with white bows, and a light blue headband with a white bow. Then I went down to breakfast.

"Good morning." I greeted my family before sitting down.

"Good morning sweetie." Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon said kissing my cheek.

"What would you like for breakfast hunny?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"A bowl of fruit and a glass of orange juice please." I requested.

"Here you are sweetie. Now eat up, Professor McGonagall will be here soon." Aunt Petunia said.

"Okay. Oh, aunt Petunia will you take me shopping later for school supplies?" I asked.

"Sure sweetie, but I thought Professor McGonagall was doing that?" Aunt Petunia said confused.

"She is. But the school supplies here are way more organized from what my mom's journal said." I explained.

"Okay sweetie, we'll go when you get back." Aunt Petunia said.

"Thank you." I said kissing her cheek.

A little while later there was a knock on the door, Aunt Petunia went to answer it.

"Yes?" she asked.

"I'm professor McGonagall, I'm here to excort Honor to Diagon Alley today."

"Of course, come on it." Aunt Petunia said opening the door.

"Thank you." Professor McGonagall said stepping into the living room. When I saw what the Professor was wearing, I was shocked at first. She was wearing an dark emerald green robe and a witches hat.

"It's nice to meet you Professor McGonagall." I said standing up to shake her hand.

"And it's a pleasure to meet you Miss Potter." she said smiling.

"How long will you be gone?" Uncle Vernon asked. I could tell he was worried about me.

"Two or three hours." Professor McGongall said. "We better be going Miss Potter." she told me.

"Alright. Let me get my key." I said before going upstairs in my bedside table and getting my key.

"Okay, I have it." I said hugging my aunt before stepping beside Professor McGonagall.

"Alright. You might want to hang on tight." she said before I felt like I was being squeezed into a tube.

"What was that?" I said gasping for air.

"Apparition. It's a wizarding mode of transportation." she said.

"Oh." I said before I noticed that we were outside a pub. "Where are we?" I asked.

"The Leaky Cauldron. It's the entrance of Diagon Alley." she said before walking inside.

"Hey Professor McGonagall, do you want anything?" the barman asked.

"No Tom, I'm excorting a Hogwarts student into the Alley today." she said patting my back.

"Good Lord," said the bartender, peering at me, "is this - can this be - ?"

The Leaky Cauldron had suddenly gone completely still and silent.

"Bless my soul," whispered the old bartender, "Honor Potter... what an pleasure."

He hurried out from behind the bar, rushed towards me and seized my hand, tears in his eyes.

"Welcome back, Miss. Potter, welcome back."

I didn't know what to say. Everyone was looking at me. The old woman with the pipe was puffing on it without realizing it had gone out. McGonagall was beaming.

Then there was a great scraping of chairs and the next moment, I found myself shaking hands with everyone in the Leaky Cauldron.

"Doris Crockford, Miss. Potter, can't believe I'm meeting you at last."

"So proud, Miss. Potter, I'm just so proud."

"Always wanted to shake your hand - I'm all of a flutter."

"Delighted, Miss. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle."

A pale young man made his way forward, very nervously. One of his eyes was twitching.

"Professor Quirrell!" said McGonagall. "Honor, Professor Quirrell will be one of your teachers at Hogwarts."

"P-P-Potter," stammered Professor Quirrell, grasping my hand, "c-can't t-tell you how p-pleased I am to meet you."

"What sort of magic do you teach, Professor Quirrell?"

"D-Defense Against the D-D-Dark Arts," muttered Professor Quirrell, as though he'd rather not think about it. "N-not that you n-need it, eh, P-P-Potter?" He laughed nervously. "You'll be g-getting all your equipment, I suppose? I've g-got to p-pick up a new b-book on vampires, m-myself." He looked terrified at the very thought.

But the others wouldn't let Professor Quirrell keep me to himself. It took almost ten minutes to get away from them all. At last, McGonagall managed to make herself heard over the babble.

"Must get on - lots to buy. Come on, Honor."

Doris Crockford shook my hand one last time, and McGonagall led us through the bar and out into a small, walled courtyard, where there was nothing but a trash can and a few weeds.

"Why did everyone react like that toward me?" I asked frowning.

"You're famous here Miss. Potter. When you were one, a dark wizard by the name of Lord Voldemort tried to kill you, but the curse rebounded at him, now he's gone."

"Is he dead?" I asked.

"I'm not sure to be honest." she said frowning.

"But still, being famous for killing someone is not something to be proud of." I said frowning, trying not to cry at the thought of me being responsible for someone's death, even if they were evil.

"I'm happy you know that." she said gently rubbing my shoulders in comfort.

"Three up... two across... " she muttered. "Right, stand back, Honor."

She tapped the wall three times with the point of her wand.

The brick she had touched quivered - it wriggled - in the middle, a small hole appeared - it grew wider and wider - a second later they were facing an archway large enough even for McGonagall, an archway onto a cobbled street that twisted and turned out of sight.

"Welcome," said McGonagall, "to Diagon Alley."

She grinned at my amazement. We stepped through the archway. I looked quickly over my shoulder and saw the archway shrink instantly back into solid wall.

The sun shone brightly on a stack of cauldrons outside the nearest shop. Cauldrons - All Sizes - Copper, Brass, Pewter, Silver - Self-Stirring - Collapsible, said a sign hanging over them.

"Yeah, you'll need one," said McGonagall, "but we have to get your money first."

I wish I had about eight more eyes. I turned my head in every direction as we walked up the street, trying to look at everything at once: the shops, the things outside them, the people doing their shopping. A plump woman outside an Apothecary was shaking her head as we passed, saying, "Dragon liver, seventeen Sickles an ounce, they're mad..."

A low, soft hooting came from a dark shop with a sign saying Eeylops Owl Emporium - Tawny, Screech, Barn, Brown, and Snowy. Several boys of about my age had their noses pressed against a window with broomsticks in it. "Look," I heard one of them say, "the new Nimbus Two Thousand - fastest ever - " There were shops selling robes, shops selling telescopes and strange silver instruments I had never seen before, windows stacked with barrels of bat spleens and eels' eyes, tottering piles of spell books, quills, and rolls of parchment, potion bottles, globes of the moon...

"Gringotts," said McGonagall.

We had reached a snowy white building that towered over the other little shops. Standing beside its burnished bronze doors, wearing a uniform of scarlet and gold, was -

"Yeah, that's a goblin," said McGonagall quietly as we walked up the white stone steps toward him. The goblin was about a head shorter than me. He had a swarthy, clever face, a pointed beard and, I noticed, very long fingers and feet. He bowed as we walked inside. Now we were facing a second pair of doors, silver this time, with words engraved upon them:

Enter, stranger, but take heed

Of what awaits the sin of greed,

For those who take, but do not earn,

Must pay most dearly in their turn.

So if you seek beneath our floors

A treasure that was never yours,

Thief, you have been warned, beware

Of finding more than treasure there.

"Don't ever try to rob them." said McGonagall.

A pair of goblins showed us through the silver doors and we were in a vast marble hall. About a hundred more goblins were sitting on high stools behind a long counter, scribbling in large ledgers, weighing coins in brass scales, examining precious stones through eyeglasses. There were too many doors to count leading off the hall, and yet more goblins were showing people in and out of these. McGonagall and I made for the counter.

"Good morning," said McGonagall to a free goblin. "We've come to take some money out of Miss. Honor Potter's trust vault."

"Does she have her key?" the Goblin asked.

"Yes, here. And I would like to speak to my Account Manager." I said handing him my key.

The goblin looked at it closely.

"That seems to be in order."

"And I've also got a letter here from Professor Dumbledore," said McGonagall importantly, standing straight. "It's about the You-Know-What in vault seven hundred and thirteen."

The goblin read the letter carefully.

"Very well," he said, handing it back to McGonagall, "I will have someone take you down to the vault, while Miss Potter goes to her Account Manager. Griphook!"

Griphook was yet another goblin. She and I followed Griphook toward one of the doors leading off the hall.

"Miss Potter your Account Manager is through that door," he said pointing his hand to the door that said, 'Chukt the Account Manager for the Noble and Most Ancient Houses of Potter and Black', "and Professor you follow me." he said before walking away and entering a cart.

"Miss Potter, wait for me in the lobby when you're done." she said.

"Okay Professor McGonagall." Before I knocked on the door.

"Enter." a voice called out.

"Hello Chukt. My name is Honor Rose Potter, I would like an Inheritance Test and I would like to read my parents Wills please." I said sitting down.

"Of course. You need to drop seven drops of blood on this parchment and I'll get your parents wills." he said handing me a parchment and going to a filing cabinet to retrieve a document. I dropped seven drops of blood on the parchment and waited for the results. When they showed up, I quickly read through it.

Inheritance Test for Honor Rose Potter Black

Parents: James Charlus Potter, Lily Grace Potter nee Evans, and Sirius Orion Black (Blood Adopted)

Siblings: None

Godparents: Severus Tobias Snape Prince, Sirius Orion Black, and Alice Grace Longbottom nee Prewett

Paternal:  
Noble and Most Ancient House of Potter

Noble and Most Ancient House of Black

Noble and Most Ancient House of Peverell

Maternal:  
Noble and Most Ancient House of Ravenclaw

Noble and Most Ancient House of Hufflepuff

Confirmed Right of Conquest Titles

The House of Slytherin

The House of Gaunt

Creature Inheritance: None

Soulmate: Neville Frank Longbottom

Magical Abilities:

Eidetic Memory

Parselmagic

Animagus- can be any creature that's known in the world

Natural Occlumency

Metamorphmagus

Shapeshifting

Mage Sence and Sight (Can see and sence magic)

Confirmed Vaults

Potter Trust Vault

Potter Vault

Black Trust Vault

Black Vault

Peverell Vault

Ravenclaw Vault

Hufflepuff Vault

Slytherin Vault

"Well Miss Potter, it seems you're one of the richest witches alive today." Chukt said shocked. "And here is your parents will." he said handing me the document.

Lord James Charlus Potter and Lady Lily Grace Potter's Last Will and Testament

"This is the Last Will and Testament of Lily Grace Evans nee Potter and James Charlus Potter."

"If our death came at the hands of Lord Voldemort it's just a name people then the matter of our Secret Keeper must be looked into. Sirius Orion Black, best mate, brother, was not our Secret Keeper. He was a decoy to keep attention away from Peter Pettigrew."

"Remus Lupin, dear friend, forgive us but we thought you had enough of a burden to carry without the added responsibility. To you we leave 500,000 galleons. Don't let a furry little problem ruin your life. You are always welcome to visit Honor. We hope you'll continue to be her Uncle Moony."

"Sirius Black, you are our daughter's Godfather and you are our first choice to raise her. We know that you'll keep Remus involved and raise her to be a strong little girl as she needs to be and most of all you'll raise her with love. We know you don't need the money, Sirius, but there's 100,000 galleons for you anyway and my box for the Puddlemere United games so you can take Honor once she's old enough. Find a nice girl yourself when you're ready."

"If for some reason Sirius is unable to raise Honor our second choice is placement with her Godmother, Alice Longbottom's family. Honor and Neville already love to play together so we would be more than happy for them to be able to grow up as siblings."

"If both Sirius Black and the Longbottoms are unavailable Honor is to be placed in the following order of preference with the following as available: Amelia Bones, Andromeda Tonks, Grace Diggory, Selene Lovegood, Hector Greengrass, Horatio Abbott, Filius Flitwick, Demetrius Zonko, or Garrick Ollivander. If none of the above named is available then she is to go to my sister Petunia Dursley nee Evans. A stipend will be provided to the guardians for the raising of our heir. Expectations will be delivered to said guardian once custody is settled."

"We leave a bequest of 100,000 galleons to our friends the Longbottoms and 50,000 galleons to our beloved godson, Neville."

"All estates, properties and monies go as is proper to our only daughter and heir, Honor Rose Potter with our love and affection. We know you will grow up to be a fine lady."

"Oh, and Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore is hereby declared an enemy of the Potter line considering that he knew that Sirius Orion Black was NOT our Secret Keeper. He is to have no contact with our child."

"Finally, our research on the Killing Curse is even now being sent to certain trusted personnel, you know who you are, within the Department of Mysteries in hopes that more lives can be spared from the petty terrorist with the fake name that is low enough to come after children. While we may not see the war end we die in hope that our daughter will be able to grow up in peace. Here ends the Last Will and Testament of Lily Evans Potter and James Charlus Potter. We love you."

"Thank you Chukt." I said with tears in my eyes. "Will you send this to the DMLE please, I want my second father out of prison." I said angry at the injustice that was shown to my Godfather.

"I will Miss Potter." he said.

"And do you have a credit card, like in the muggle world?" I asked.

"Yes we do in fact. What color do you want?" he asked.

"Dark Purple." I said. "Have anyone who's not blood or the listed guardians in the will, is to be banned from my vaults. And any heirloons that is missing, return them and fine anyone who stole from me. Also, anyone who's been using my name or has published anything about me, sue them." I said.

"Alright Miss Potter." he said handing me my credit card. "Put one drop of blood on your card that way no one else can use it." he said.

"Okay." I said before doing what he said.

"Is there anything else?" he asked.

"Yes. Can you do a scan on my forehead? I sometimes get horrible pain, I think it's from what happened that Halloween night." I said frowning.

"Of course." he said stand up and doing a quick scan on me. "Alright Miss Potter, come with me to the ritual room." he said rushing me out of the room. A little while later, Chukt and a few other goblins had me stand in the center of circle before they started chanting.

"I call upon Mother Magic to help in releaving this childe of Magic from the soul peace known as Lord Voldemort." Five minutes later I felt a tug in my scar, before I didn't feel anymore pain.

"It's done. Now we can use this as a locator to the other soul pieces then we won't have to deal with another war." Chukt said smirking.

"Miss Potter, do you need anything else?" Chukt asked.

"No, not right now. If I do, I'll send you a letter." I said.

"Okay." he said.

"Thank you, and have a great and profitable day." I said heading to the door.

"Same to you Miss Potter." he said before I left. When I got to the lobby, McGonagall was waiting for me.

"Everything alright Miss Potter?" she asked.

"Yes and no. I had my account manager send a copy of my parents will to the DMLE to have my Godfather freed." I said as we walked out to the Alley.

"Sirius Black! Why?!" she exclaimed.

"Because he wasn't our Secret Keeper, it said so in my parents will. And Dumbledore knew, and didn't do anything to stop this injustice. Now he is an enemy of the Potter line." I said angry.

"Oh my!" she exclaimed softly.

"I'm also the heiress of Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff on my mother's side. It seems she wasn't a muggleborn after all. And I'm also the heiress of Slytherin and Gaunt by Right of Conquest." I said frowning. I was still upset of being known for killing another human being.

"I have a feeling you'll do great things in the future." McGonagall said smiling.

"Oh, and the goblins did a ritual on my forehead. They pulled a piece of Voldemort's soul out of it, and they're going to use it as a locator to find the other ones. It looks like we won't have to go through another war."

"That's great news." she said grinning. "Alright! Lets go get your wand." she said leading the way to the wand shop.

The shop was narrow and shabby. Peeling gold letters over the door read Ollivanders: Makers of Fine Wands since 382 B.C. A single wand lay on a faded purple cushion in the dusty window.

A tinkling bell rang somewhere in the depths of the shop as we stepped inside. It was a tiny place, empty except for a single, spindly chair that McGonagall sat on to wait. I felt strangely as though I had entered a very strict library; I swallowed a lot of new questions that had just occurred to me and looked instead at the thousands of narrow boxes piled neatly right up to the ceiling. For some reason, the back of my neck prickled. The very dust and silence in here seemed to tingle with some secret magic.

"Good afternoon," said a soft voice. I jumped.

An old man was standing before us, his wide, pale eyes shining like moons through the gloom of the shop.

"Hello," I said awkwardly.

"Ah yes," said the man. "Yes, yes. I thought I'd be seeing you soon. Honor Potter." It wasn't a question. "You have your mother's eyes. It seems only yesterday she was in here herself, buying her first wand. Ten and a quarter inches long, swishy, made of willow. Nice wand for charm work." I must've changed my eyes green, because my eyes are blue.

Mr. Ollivander moved closer to me. I wished he would blink. Those silvery eyes were a bit creepy.

"Your father, on the other hand, favored a mahogany wand. Eleven inches. Pliable. A little more power and excellent for transfiguration. Well, I say your father favored it - it's really the wand that chooses the wizard, of course."

Mr. Ollivander had come so close that he and I were almost nose to nose. I could see myself reflected in those misty eyes.

"And that's where..."

Mr. Ollivander touched the lightning scar on my forehead with a long, white finger.

"I'm sorry to say I sold the wand that did it," he said softly. "Thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Powerful wand, very powerful, and in the wrong hands... well, if I'd known what that wand was going out into the world to do..."

He shook his head and then, to my relief, spotted McGonagall.

"Professor Minerva McGonagall! How nice to see you again...Fir and dragon heartstring, nine and a half inches. Rather stiff, isn't it?"

"Yes it is Mr Ollivander." said McGonagall.

"Well, now - Miss. Potter. Let me see." He pulled a long tape measure with silver markings out of his pocket. "Which is your wand arm?"

"I'm right-handed sir." I said.

"Hold out your arm. That's it." He measured me from shoulder to finger, then wrist to elbow, shoulder to floor, knee to armpit and round my head. As he measured, he said, "Every Ollivander wand has a core of a powerful magical substance, Miss. Potter. We use unicorn hairs, phoenix tail feathers, and the heartstrings of dragons. No two Ollivander wands are the same, just as no two unicorns, dragons, or phoenixes are quite the same. And of course, you will never get such good results with another wizard's wand."

I suddenly realized that the tape measure, which was measuring between my nostrils, was doing this on its own. Mr. Ollivander was flitting around the shelves, taking down boxes.

"That will do," he said, and the tape measure crumpled into a heap on the floor. "Right then, Miss. Potter. Try this one. Beechwood and dragon heartstring. Nine inches. Nice and flexible. just take it and give it a wave."

I took the wand and (feeling foolish) waved it around a bit, but Mr. Ollivander snatched it out of my hand almost at once.

"Maple and phoenix feather. Seven inches. Quite whippy. Try-"

I tried - but I had hardly raised the wand when it, too, was snatched back by Mr. Ollivander.

"No, no - here, ebony and unicorn hair, eight and a half inches, springy. Go on, go on, try it out."

I tried. And tried. I had no idea what Mr. Ollivander was waiting for. The pile of tried wands was mounting higher and higher on the spindly chair, but the more wands Mr. Ollivander pulled from the shelves, the happier he seemed to become.

"Tricky customer, eh? Not to worry, we'll find the perfect match here somewhere - I wonder, now - yes, why not - unusual combination - holly and phoenix feather, eleven inches, nice and supple."

I took the wand. I felt a sudden warmth in my fingers. I raised the wand above my head, brought it swishing down through the dusty air and a stream of purple and gold sparks shot from the end like a firework, throwing dancing spots of light on to the walls. McGonagall clapped and Mr. Ollivander cried, "Oh, bravo! Yes, indeed, oh, very good. Well, well, well... how curious... how very curious..."

He put my wand back into its box and wrapped it in brown paper, still muttering, "Curious... curious...

"Sorry," I said, "but what's curious?"

Mr. Ollivander fixed me with his pale stare.

"I remember every wand I've ever sold, Miss. Potter. Every single wand. It so happens that the phoenix whose tail feather is in your wand, gave another feather - just one other. It is very curious indeed that you should be destined for this wand when its brother - why, its brother gave you that scar."

I swallowed.

"Yes, thirteen-and-a-half inches. Yew. Curious indeed how these things happen. The wand chooses the wizard, remember...I think we must expect great things from you, Miss. Potter...After all, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named did great things - terrible, yes, but great."

I shivered. I wasn't sure I liked Mr. Ollivander too much.

"I would also like a wand hollister, with an anti theft and anti summoning charm on it please." I requested.

"Of course Miss Potter." he said before putting a silver wand hollister on the counter.

I paid 14 galleons with my credit card, then Professor McGonagall and I left to finish my shopping. First we went to Bags and Trunks for All Occasions for a trunk. I walked up to the owner of the shop and asked him, "Hi! I would like a purple three compartment trunk with silver handles, and please write my full name, Honor Rose Potter spelled on the top in white letters. And please engrave a red lily, a brown stag, a black grim, and a black werewolf on the right side of the trunk, to repercent my family."

"Sure, anything else?" the owner asked.

"Yes! The first compartment is going to be from my textbooks, supplies, and homework. The second compartment is going to be for school clothes, and the last compartment would be for my everyday wear. And please put an anti-theft, a weightless charm, fireproof charm, water proof charm, and an undectable extention charm on the trunk." I requested.

"And I also want a blue leather backback with the Hogwarts symbol, that will automatically change to the House I'm sorted in. On the front and my initials H.R.P in white letters stitched on the side. And will you also put the same charms on it as the trunk? And lastly, I need a light pink toiletry bag with my initials H.R.P in dark pink letters." I finished.

"Okay! It will take an hour to get everything ready." the owner said.

"That's fine, we'll wait." Professor McGonagall said before I could say anything.

An hour later, "Okay! It's finished! And I think this is the best trunk I've ever made!" the owner exclaimed, smiling and excited.

"Oh my gosh! It's so beautiful. How much is it?" I asked.

"150 galleons." he said.

"Okay!" I said before paying.

"Have a nice day!" the owner said.

"You too!" I said, walking out of the shop.

"Alright, now your uniform." McGonagall said leading the way to Madam Malkin's Robes for All Occasions.

"Listen, Honor, would you mind if I slipped off for something to drink in the Leaky Cauldron? I need to rest a little bit." She did still look a bit tired, so I entered Madam Malkin's shop alone, feeling nervous.

Madam Malkin was a squat, smiling witch dressed all in mauve.

"Hogwarts, dear?" she said, when I started to speak. "Got the lot here - another young man being fitted up just now, in fact."

In the back of the shop, a boy with a pale, pointed face was standing on a footstool while a second witch pinned up his long black robes. Madam Malkin stood me on a stool next to him slipped a long robe over my head, and began to pin it to the right length.

"Hello," said the boy, "Hogwarts, too?"

"Yes," I said.

"My father's next door buying my books and mother's up the street looking at wands," said the boy. He had a bored, drawling voice. "Then I'm going to drag them off to took at racing brooms. I don't see why first years can't have their own. I think I'll bully father into getting me one and I'll smuggle it in somehow."

"Have you got your own broom?" the boy went on.

"No," I said.

"Play Quidditch at all?"

"No," I said.

"I do - Father says it's a crime if I'm not picked to play for my house, and I must say, I agree. Know what house you'll be in yet?"

"No. But I think Ravenclaw." I said

"Well, no one really knows until they get there, do they, but I know I'll be in Slytherin, all our family have been - imagine being in Hufflepuff, I think I'd leave, wouldn't you?"

"As a matter of fact, no. Because I'm the heiress of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw on my mother's side." I said a little angry.

"Oh." he muttered.

"Where are your parents?" the boy asked.

"They're dead," I said shortly.

"Oh, sorry," said the other, not sounding sorry at all. "But they were our kind, weren't they?"

"They were a witch and wizard, if that's what you mean."

"I really don't think they should let the other sort in, do you? They're just not the same, they've never been brought up to know our ways. Some of them have never even heard of Hogwarts until they get the letter, imagine. I think they should keep it in the old wizarding families. What's your surname, anyway?"

"Potter." I said still a little miffed. The boy looked shocked.

"That's you done, my dear." Madam Malkin said.

"Actually, I would like more robes in pastel pinks, light blues, brown, beige, pale greens, pale purples, blue greens, red in mixed contrasts with my House Crests...Potter, Peverell, Black, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Gaunt." I requested.

"Alright my dear. May I ask how you are the heiress of Slytherin and Gaunt?" Madam Malkin asked. I could tell the boy was listening.

"Yes. I'm the heiress of those families through Right of Conquest." I said.

"Oh." Madam Malkin said. A little while later she was done with my robes, I packed them in my trunk before paying, then leaving to meet Professor McGongall.

"Well, I'll see you at Hogwarts, I suppose." said the drawling boy. I nodded. When I got to the Leaky Cauldron, Professor McGonagall was already standing up to come and meet me.

"Did you get your uniform?" she asked.

"Yes. But I also got everyday robes with my house crests on them." I said.

"Smart." she said before we went and got my other supplies I needed and a white snowy owl I named Hedwig before she took me home. When I got home, my cousin came and helped me bring my trunk inside.

"Hey honey, did you have a nice time?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"Yes." I said smiling.

"That's good. Well, go eat lunch, then we'll do some more shopping." Aunt Petunia said.

"Okay." I said going to the kitchen, fixing me a grilled chicken salad, bowl of fruit, and water. After I got done eating, we went shopping. I got pencils, pens, a green binder, dividers, lose leaf paper, notebooks, notepads, sticky notes, battery operated pencil sharpener, organizers for class schedule, calculators,  
highlighters, folders, and a dictionary. It was around dinner time when we got home.

"Okay sweetie. Go put your stuff in your trunk, while I fix dinner." Aunt Petunia said kissing my forehead.

"Okay auntie." I said before heading upstairs. I spent the next half hour organizing my trunk and folding my robes and clothes when I was done, I headed now for dinner. Uncle Vernon came home from work just in time.

"Hey family! What're having for dinner?" he asked as he came into the kitchen.

"Spaghetti and meatballs with garlic bread and salad." Aunt Petunia said kissing his cheek.

"Sounds good." he said as he sat the table. After we ate dinner, I went to take a shower and got ready for bed. After watching the news with my family, I headed up to bed.

"Goodnight, I love you." I said giving them hugs.

"Goodnight dear." Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon said. My last thought before falling asleep was, I can't wait for Hogwarts.


	3. Chapter 3: The Journey from Platform Nine and Three-Quarters

Honor's POV:

The last month before school started, I spent time reading up on wizarding customs and my school textbooks. I wanted to familiarize myself of my magical roots. Tomorrow is September 1, so my family and I have to be at Kings Cross Station before 11 o'clock or I'll miss the train, and I don't want that. I was thinking of how not to offend anyone in the wizarding world as I got out of bed, took a shower, and got dressed. I put on a light grey knee length skirt, light pink tank top, light grey sweater, and light pink flats with grey bows. Then I had my aunt curl my hair, after she did that, I put a pink butterfly hair clip on. After I was done, I headed down for breakfast.

"Uncle Vernon, Aunt Petunia, will you take me to Kings Cross tomorrow before going to work? I have to be there before 11 o' clock." I said as I sat down for breakfast.

"Sure sweetie." Uncle Vervon said as Aunt Petunia sat blueberry cakes on the table with a bowl of fruit and a glass of orange juice for me.

"I never went with your mother to the entrance, so I don't know where it is. Did Professor McGonagall tell you where it is and how to enter?" Aunt Petunia asked.

"Yes." I said before finishing my fruit.

"Good." she said.

An hour later, my school trunk was in the trunk of the car, I had Hedwig fly to Hogwarts because I didn't want her to be in her cage all day. When we got to the station, I noticed a group of red heads in robes rushing to a wall.

"Have fun sweetie. Don't forget to write at least twice a week." Aunt Petunia said as she hugged and kissed my cheek.

"I will. I love you." I said hugging my uncle.

"You be careful young lady." Uncle Vernon said hugging me tight.

"I will." I promised before heading towards the entrance. When I got to the entrance, I noticed a plump red headed woman trying to get her kids in before they were late.

After she got her kids in I ran through the entrance, I wonder why no muggles noticed. When I found an empty compartment I went inside, put my trunk up, took out a book, and waited for the train to leave. I noticed that the family of red heads lingering and talking about me, about how the twins helped me with my trunk. Then I heard their mother scolding them when they wondered if I remembered what happened the night my parents were killed.

The door of the compartment slid open and the youngest redheaded boy came in.

"Anyone sitting there?" he asked, pointing at the seat opposite of me. "Everywhere else is full."

I shook my head and the boy sat down. He glanced at me and then looked quickly out of the window, pretending he hadn't looked. I saw that he had a black mark on his nose.

"Hey, Ron." His twin brothers said.

"Listen, we're going down the middle of the train - Lee Jordan's got a giant tarantula down there."

"Right," mumbled Ron.

"Honor," said the other twin, "did we introduce ourselves? Fred and George Weasley. And this is Ron, our brother. See you later, then."

"Bye," Ron and I said. The twins slid the compartment door shut behind them.

"Are you really Honor Potter?" Ron blurted out.

I nodded.

"Oh - well, I thought it might be one of Fred and George's jokes," said Ron. "And have you really got - you know..."

He pointed at my forehead.

"Yes." I pulled back my bangs to show the lightning scar. Ron stared.

"So that's where You-Know-Who - ?"

"Yes," I said, "but I can't remember it."

"Nothing?" Ron asked eagerly.

"Well - I remember a lot of green light, but nothing else."

"Wow," said Ron. He sat and stared at me for a few moments, then, as though he had suddenly realized what he was doing, he looked quickly out of the window again.

"Are all your family wizards?" I asked.

"Er - Yes, I think so," said Ron. "I think Mom's got a second cousin who's an accountant, but we never talk about him."

"So you must know loads of magic already."

"I heard you went to live with Muggles," said Ron. "What are they like?"

"I love them. I would be lost without them. But I wish I'd had three wizard brothers."

"Five," said Ron. For some reason, he was looking gloomy. "I'm the sixth in our family to go to Hogwarts. You could say I've got a lot to live up to. Bill and Charlie have already left - Bill was head boy and Charlie was captain of Quidditch. Now Percy's a prefect. Fred and George mess around a lot, but they still get really good marks and everyone thinks they're really funny. Everyone expects me to do as well as the others, but if I do, it's no big deal, because they did it first. You never get anything new, either, with five brothers. I've got Bill's old robes, Charlie's old wand, and Percy's old rat."

Ron reached inside his jacket and pulled out a fat gray rat, which was asleep.

"His name's Scabbers and he's useless, he hardly ever wakes up. Percy got an owl from my dad for being made a prefect, but they couldn't aff - I mean, I got Scabbers instead." I narrowed my eyes at the rat, something was familier and strange about him.

Ron's ears went pink. He seemed to think he'd said too much, because he went back to staring out of the window.

I didn't think there was anything wrong with not being able to afford an owl.

"I've known about being a witch from the time I did my first accidental magic. My family was honest about everything. But up until I got my letter and Professor McGonagall, I didn't know I was famous. But I don't like being famous for killing Voldemort. Evil or not, he was still a human being."

Ron gasped.

"What?" I asked.

"You said You-Know-Who's name!" said Ron, sounding both shocked and impressed. "I'd have thought you, of all people-"

"It's just a name. It means Flight from Death in French." I stated.

"Oh."

While we've been talking, the train had carried them out of London. Now they were speeding past fields full of cows and sheep. They were quiet for a time, watching the fields and lanes flick past.

Around half past twelve there was a great clattering outside in the corridor and a smiling, dimpled woman slid back their door and said, "Anything off the cart, dears?"

I bought some fruit, cakes, candy, and drinks for Ron and I.

Ron stared as I brought it all back in to the compartment and tipped it onto an empty seat.

"Hungry, are you?"

"Starving," I said, taking a bite out of a pumpkin pasty.

Ron had taken out a lumpy package and unwrapped it. There were four sandwiches inside. He pulled one of them apart and said, "She always forgets I don't like corned beef.."

"Do you want some of this?" I asked.

"Sure. Thank you." Ron said taking a cake and chocolate frog. When I opened my chocolate frog, I noticed I had Dumbledore, so I gave the card to Ron.

There was a knock on the door of their compartment and the round-faced boy I had passed on platform nine and three-quarters came in. He looked tearful.

"Sorry," he said, "but have you seen a toad at all?"

When we shook their heads, he wailed, "I've lost him! He keeps getting away from me!" I don't know why, but didn't like that he was upset.

"He'll turn up," I said.

"Yes," said the boy miserably. "Well, if you see him..."

He left.

"Don't know why he's so bothered," said Ron. "If I'd brought a toad I'd lose it as quick as I could. Mind you, I brought Scabbers, so I can't talk."

The rat was still snoozing on Ron's lap.

"He might have died and you wouldn't know the difference," said Ron in disgust. "I tried to turn him yellow yesterday to make him more interesting, but the spell didn't work. I'll show you, look..."

He rummaged around in his trunk and pulled out a very battered-looking wand. It was chipped in places and something white was glinting at the end.

"Unicorn hair's nearly poking out. Anyway-"

He had just raised his wand when the compartment door slid open again. The toadless boy was back, but this time he had a girl with him. She was already wearing her new Hogwarts robes.

"Has anyone seen a toad? Neville's lost one," she said. She had a bossy sort of voice, lots of bushy brown hair, and rather large front teeth.

"We've already told him we haven't seen it," said Ron, but the girl wasn't listening, she was looking at the wand in his hand.

"Oh, are you doing magic? Let's see it, then."

She sat down. Ron looked taken aback.

"Er - all right."

He cleared his throat.

"Sunshine, daisies, butter mellow,

Turn this stupid, fat rat yellow."

He waved his wand, but nothing happened. Scabbers stayed gray and fast asleep.

"Are you sure that's a real spell?" said the girl. "Well, it's not very good, is it? I've tried a few simple spells just for practice and it's all worked for me. Nobody in my family's magic at all, it was ever such a surprise when I got my letter, but I was ever so pleased, of course, I mean, it's the very best school of witchcraft there is, I've heard - I've learned all our course books by heart, of course, I just hope it will be enough - I'm Hermione Granger, by the way, who are you?"

She said all this very fast.

I looked at Ron, and was relieved to see by his stunned face that he hadn't learned all the course books by heart either.

"I'm Ron Weasley," Ron muttered.

"Honor Potter," I said.

"Are you really?" said Hermione. "I know all about you, of course - I got a few extra books, for background reading, and you're in Modern Magical History and The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts and Great Wizarding Events of the Twentieth Century."

"Well, everyone that used my name without permission is getting sued." I said, feeling a little angry.

"Oh," said Hermione. "Do either of you know what house you'll be in? I've been asking around, and I hope I'm in Gryffindor, it sounds by far the best; I hear Dumbledore himself was in it, but I suppose Ravenclaw wouldn't be too bad... Anyway, we'd better go and look for Neville's toad. You two had better change, you know, I expect we'll be there soon."

And she left, taking the toadless boy with her.

"Whatever house I'm in, I hope she's not in it," said Ron. He threw his wand back into his trunk. "Stupid spell - George gave it to me, bet he knew it was a dud."

"What house are your brothers in?" I asked.

"Gryffindor," said Ron. Gloom seemed to be settling on him again. "Mom and Dad were in it, too. I don't know what they'll say if I'm not. I don't suppose Ravenclaw would be too bad, but imagine if they put me in Slytherin."

"That's the house Vol-, I mean, You-Know-Who was in?"

"Yeah," said Ron. He flopped back into his seat, looking depressed.

"You know, I think the ends of Scabbers' whiskers are a bit lighter," I said, trying to take Ron's mind off houses. "So what do your oldest brothers do now that they've left, anyway?"

I was wondering what a wizard or witch did once they'd finished school.

"Charlie's in Romania studying dragons, and Bill's in Africa doing something for Gringotts," said Ron. "Did you hear about Gringotts? It's been all over the Daily Prophet, but I don't suppose you get that with the Muggles - someone tried to rob a high security vault."

I stared.

"Really? What happened to them?"

"Nothing, that's why it's such big news. They haven't been caught. My dad says it must've been a powerful Dark wizard to get round Gringotts, but they don't think they took anything, that's what's odd. 'Course, everyone gets scared when something like this happens in case You-Know-Who's behind it."

I turned this news over in his mind. I was starting to get a prickle of fear every time You-Know-Who was mentioned. I suppose this was all part of entering the magical world, but it had been a lot more comfortable saying "Voldemort" without worrying.

"What's your Quidditch team?" Ron asked.

"Er - I don't know any." I confessed.

"What!" Ron looked dumbfounded. "Oh, you wait, it's the best game in the world - " And he was off, explaining all about the four balls and the positions of the seven players, describing famous games he'd been to with his brothers and the broomstick he'd like to get if he had the money. He was just taking me through the finer points of the game when the compartment door slid open yet again, but it wasn't Neville the toadless boy, or Hermione Granger this time.

Three boys entered, and I recognized the middle one at once: it was the pale boy from Madam Malkin's robe shop. He was looking at me with a lot more interest than he'd shown back in Diagon Alley.

"Is it true?" he said. "They're saying all down the train that Honor Potter's in this compartment. So it's you, is it?"

"Yes," I said. He was looking at the other boys. Both of them were thickset and looked extremely mean. Standing on either side of the pale boy, they looked like bodyguards.

"Oh, this is Crabbe and this is Goyle," said the pale boy carelessly, noticing where I was looking. "And my name's Malfoy, Draco Malfoy."

Ron gave a slight cough, which might have been hiding a snigger. Draco Malfoy looked at him.

"Think my name's funny, do you? No need to ask who you are. My father told me all the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than they can afford."

He turned back to Harry. "You'll soon find out some wizarding families are much better than others, Potter. You don't want to go making friends with the wrong sort. I can help you there."

He held out his hand to shake mine, but I didn't take it.

"I think you should lose the mask before we're ever friends. And be a little more friendly to others," I said coolly.

Draco Malfoy didn't go red, but a pink tinge appeared in his pale cheeks. But he also looked shocked. Then he left.

"You've met Malfoy before?"

I explained about their meeting in Diagon Alley.

"I've heard of his family," said Ron darkly. "They were some of the first to come back to our side after You-Know-Who disappeared. Said they'd been bewitched. My dad doesn't believe it. He says Malfoy's father didn't need an excuse to go over to the Dark Side." He turned to Hermione. "Can we help you with something?"

I peered out of the window. It was getting dark. I could see mountains and forests under a deep purple sky. The train did seem to be slowing down.

Ron left to change, while I changed in the compartment.

A voice echoed through the train: "We will be reaching Hogwarts in five minutes' time. Please leave your luggage on the train, it will be taken to the school separately."

My stomach lurched with nerves and Ron, I saw, looked pale under his freckles. They crammed their pockets with the last of the sweets and joined the crowd thronging the corridor.

The train slowed right down and finally stopped. People pushed their way toward the door and out on to a tiny, dark platform. Harry shivered in the cold night air. Then a lamp came bobbing over the heads of the students, and I heard a voice exclaiming: "Firs' years! Firs' years over here!

A very tall man with big hairy face beamed over the sea of heads.

"C'mon, follow me - any more firs' years? Mind yer step, now! Firs' years follow me!"

Slipping and stumbling, we followed him down what seemed to be a steep, narrow path. It was so dark on either side of them that I thought there must be thick trees there. Nobody spoke much. Neville, the boy who kept losing his toad, sniffed once or twice.

"Yeh'll get yer firs' sight o' Hogwarts in a sec," the tall man called over his shoulder, "jus' round this bend here." I don't think anyone got his name yet.

There was a loud "Oooooh!"

The narrow path had opened suddenly onto the edge of a great black lake. Perched atop a high mountain on the other side, its windows sparkling in the starry sky, was a vast castle with many turrets and towers.

"No more'n four to a boat!" the tall man called, pointing to a fleet of little boats sitting in the water by the shore. Ron and I were followed into their boat by Neville and Hermione.

"Everyone in?" the tall man shouted, who had a boat to himself. "Right then - FORWARD!"

And the fleet of little boats moved off all at once, gliding across the lake, which was as smooth as glass. Everyone was silent, staring up at the great castle overhead. It towered over us as we sailed nearer and nearer to the cliff on which it stood.

"Heads down!" the tall man yelled as the first boats reached the cliff; we all bent our heads and the little boats carried us through a curtain of ivy that hid a wide opening in the cliff face. We were carried along a dark tunnel, which seemed to be taking us right underneath the castle, until we reached a kind of underground harbor, where we clambered out onto rocks and pebbles.

"Oy, you there! Is this your toad?" the tall man said, who was checking the boats as people climbed out of us.

"Trevor!" cried Neville blissfully, holding out his hands. Then we clambered up a passageway in the rock after the tall man's lamp, coming out at last onto smooth, damp grass right in the shadow of the castle.

They walked up a flight of stone steps and crowded around the huge, oak front door.

"Everyone here? You there, still got yer toad?"

The man raised a gigantic fist and knocked three times on the castle door.


	4. Chapter 4: The Sorting Hat

Honor's POV:

The door swung open at once. A tall, black-haired witch in emerald-green robes stood there. I noticed it was Professor McGonagall, she had a very stern face and I knew that she was not someone to cross.

"The firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the man said.

"Thank you, Hagrid. I will take them from here."

She pulled the door wide. The entrance hall was so big you could have fit my whole house in it. The stone walls were lit with flaming torches like the ones at Gringotts, the ceiling was too high to make out, and a magnificent marble staircase facing them led to the upper floors.

We followed Professor McGonagall across the flagged stone floor. I could hear the drone of hundreds of voices from a doorway to the right - the rest of the school must already be here - but Professor McGonagall showed us into a small, empty chamber off the hall. We crowded in, standing rather closer together than we would usually have done, peering about nervously.

"Welcome to Hogwarts," said Professor McGonagall. "The start-of-term banquet will begin shortly, but before you take your seats in the Great Hall, you will be sorted into your houses. The Sorting is a very important ceremony because, while you are here, your house will be something like your family within Hogwarts. You will have classes with the rest of your house, sleep in your house dormitory, and spend free time in your house common room.

"The four houses are called Gryffindor, Hufflepuff, Ravenclaw, and Slytherin. Each house has its own noble history and each has produced outstanding witches and wizards. While you are at Hogwarts, your triumphs will earn your house points, while any rulebreaking will lose house points. At the end of the year, the house with the most points is awarded the house cup, a great honor. I hope each of you will be a credit to whichever house becomes yours.

"The Sorting Ceremony will take place in a few minutes in front of the rest of the school. I suggest you all smarten yourselves up as much as you can while you are waiting."

Her eyes lingered for a moment on Neville's cloak, which was fastened under his left ear, and on Ron's smudged nose.

"I shall return when we are ready for you," said Professor McGonagall. "Please wait quietly."

She left the chamber. I swallowed.

"How exactly do they sort us into houses?" I asked Ron.

"Some sort of test, I think. Fred said it hurts a lot, but I think he was joking."

My heart gave a horrible jolt. A test? In front of the whole school? But I didn't know any magic yet - what on earth would I have to do? I hadn't expected something like this the moment we arrived. I looked around anxiously and saw that everyone else looked terrified, too. No one was talking much except Hermione Granger, who was whispering very fast about all the spells she'd learned and wondering which one she'd need. I tried hard not to listen to her. I'd never been more nervous, never, not even when I'd had to take a school report home to my family saying that I'd somehow turned his teacher's wig blue. That was my first bout of accidental magic, after that, they told me I was a witch. I kept my eyes fixed on the door. Any second now, Professor McGonagall would come back and lead me to my doom.

Then something happened that made me jump about a foot in the air - several people behind me screamed.

"What the - ?"

I gasped. So did the people around me. About twenty ghosts had just streamed through the back wall. Pearly-white and slightly transparent, they glided across the room talking to one another and hardly glancing at the first years. They seemed to be arguing. What looked like a fat little monk was saying: "Forgive and forget, I say, we ought to give him a second chance-"

"My dear Friar, haven't we given Peeves all the chances he deserves? He gives us all a bad name and you know, he's not really even a ghost - I say, what are you all doing here?"

A ghost wearing a ruff and tights had suddenly noticed us.

Nobody answered.

"New students!" said the Fat Friar, smiling around at us. "About to be Sorted, I suppose?"

A few people nodded mutely.

"Hope to see you in Hufflepuff!" said the Friar. "My old house, you know."

"Move along now," said a sharp voice. "The Sorting Ceremony's about to start."

Professor McGonagall had returned. One by one, the ghosts floated away through the opposite wall.

"Now, form a line," Professor McGonagall told us, "and follow me."

Feeling oddly as though my legs had turned to lead, I got into line behind a boy with sandy hair, with Ron behind me, and they walked out of the chamber, back across the hall, and through a pair of double doors into the Great Hall.

I had never even imagined such a strange and splendid place. It was lit by thousands and thousands of candles that were floating in midair over four long tables, where the rest of the students were sitting. These tables were laid with glittering golden plates and goblets. At the top of the hall was another long table where the teachers were sitting. Professor McGonagall led us up here, so that we came to a halt in a line facing the other students, with the teachers behind us. The hundreds of faces staring at us looked like pale lanterns in the flickering candlelight. Dotted here and there among the students, the ghosts shone misty silver. Mainly to avoid all the staring eyes, I looked upward and saw a velvety black ceiling dotted with stars. I heard Hermione whisper, "Its bewitched to look like the sky outside. I read about it in Hogwarts, A History."

It was hard to believe there was a ceiling there at all, and that the Great Hall didn't simply open on to the heavens.

I quickly looked down again as Professor McGonagall silently placed a four-legged stool in front of us. On top of the stool she put a pointed wizard's hat. This hat was patched and frayed and extremely dirty. Aunt Petunia wouldn't have let it in the house. Come to think of it, neither would I.

Maybe we had to try and get a rabbit out of it, I thought wildly, that seemed the sort of thing - noticing that everyone in the hall was now staring at the hat, I stared at it, too. My parents journals never said anything about the sorting. For a few seconds, there was complete silence. Then the hat twitched. A rip near the brim opened wide like a mouth - and the hat began to sing:

"Oh, you may not think I'm pretty,

But don't judge on what you see,

I'll eat myself if you can find

A smarter hat than me.

You can keep your bowlers black,

Your top hats sleek and tall,

For I'm the Hogwarts Sorting Hat

And I can cap them all.

There's nothing hidden in your head

The Sorting Hat can't see,

So try me on and I will tell you

Where you ought to be.

You might belong in Gryffindor,

Where dwell the brave at heart,

Their daring, nerve, and chivalry

Set Gryffindors apart;

You might belong in Hufflepuff,

Where they are just and loyal,

Those patient Hufflepuffs are true

And unafraid of toil;

Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind,

Where those of wit and learning,

Will always find their kind;

Or perhaps in Slytherin

You'll make your real friends,

Those cunning folk use any means

To achieve their ends.

So put me on! Don't be afraid!

And don't get in a flap!

You're in safe hands (though I have none)

For I'm a Thinking Cap!"

The whole hall burst into applause as the hat finished its song. It bowed to each of the four tables and then became quite still again.

"So we've just got to try on the hat!" Ron whispered to me. "I'll kill Fred, he was going on about wrestling a troll."

I smiled weakly. Yes, trying on the hat was a lot better than having to do a spell, but I did wish we could have tried it on without everyone watching. The hat seemed to be asking rather a lot; I didn't feel brave or quick-witted or any of it at the moment.

Professor McGonagall now stepped forward holding a long roll of parchment.

"When I call your name, you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted," she said. "Abbott, Hannah!"

A pink-faced girl with blonde pigtails stumbled out of line, put on the hat, which fell right down over her eyes, and sat down. A moments pause -

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat. I smiled a little thinking of my ancestor.

The table on the right cheered and clapped as Hannah went to sit down at the Hufflepuff table. I saw the ghost of the Fat Friar waving merrily at her.

"Bones, Susan!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!" shouted the hat again, and Susan scuttled off to sit next to Hannah.

"Boot, Terry!"

"RAVENCLAW!" I smiled a little bit again at another one of my ancestors.

The table second from the left clapped this time; several Ravenclaws stood up to shake hands with Terry as he joined them.

"Brocklehurst, Mandy" went to Ravenclaw too, but "Brown, Lavender" became the first new Gryffindor, and the table on the far left exploded with cheers; I could see Ron's twin brothers catcalling.

"Bulstrode, Millicent" then became a Slytherin. I need to clean the house up I thought.

I was starting to feel a little nervous now.

"Finch-Fletchley, Justin!"

"HUFFLEPUFF!"

Sometimes, I noticed, the hat shouted out the house at once, but at others it took a little while to decide. "Finnigan, Seamus," the sandy-haired boy next to me in the line, sat on the stool for almost a whole minute before the hat declared him a Gryffindor.

"Granger, Hermione!"

Hermione almost ran to the stool and jammed the hat eagerly on her head.

"RAVENCLAW!" shouted the hat.

A horrible thought struck me, as horrible thoughts always do when you're very nervous. What if I wasn't chosen at all? What if I just sat there with the hat over my eyes for ages, until Professor McGonagall jerked it off my head and said there had obviously been a mistake and I'd better get back on the train? Okay, I'm being a little dramatic now I thought.

When Neville Longbottom, the boy who kept losing his toad, was called, he fell over on his way to the stool. The hat took a long time to decide with Neville. When it finally shouted, "GRYFFINDOR," Neville ran off still wearing it, and had to jog back amid gales of laughter to give it to "MacDougal, Morag."

Malfoy swaggered forward when his name was called and got his wish at once: the hat had barely touched his head when it screamed, "SLYTHERIN!"

Malfoy went to join his friends Crabbe and Goyle, looking pleased with himself.

There weren't many people left now. "Moon"..., "Nott"..., "Parkinson"..., then a pair of twin girls, "Patil" and "Patil"..., then "Perks, Sally-Anne"..., and then, at last -

"Potter, Honor!"

As I stepped forward, whispers suddenly broke out like little hissing fires all over the hall.

"Potter, did she say?"

"The Honor Potter?"

The last thing I saw before the hat dropped over my eyes was the hall full of people craning to get a good look at me. Next second I was looking at the black inside of the hat. I waited.

"Hmm," said a small voice in his ear. "Difficult. Very difficult. Plenty of courage, but you're not reckless I see. Not a bad mind either. There's talent, A my goodness, yes - and a nice thirst to prove yourself, now that's interesting... And my goodness, you're the heiress of Ravenclaw, Hufflepuff, and Slytherin! So where shall I put you?"

I gripped the edges of the stool and thought, Not Slytherin, not because I don't want to go, it's because I don't think I would be very safe in that house right now.

"You're right about that." said the small voice. "Okay, I'll put you in one of your ancestors houses." he paused, "Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, I give you the heiress of Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw! But she'll be going into...RAVENCLAW!" the hat exclaimed.

I heard the hat shout the last word to the whole hall. I took off the hat and walked toward the Ravenclaw table. I was so relieved, but I could tell everyone was shocked.

I could see the High Table properly now. At the end nearest me sat Hagrid, who caught my eye and gave me the thumbs up. I grinned back. And there, in the center of the High Table, in a large gold chair, sat Albus Dumbledore. I recognized him at once from the card I'd gotten out of the Chocolate Frog on the train. Dumbledore's silver hair was the only thing in the whole hall that shone as brightly as the ghosts. I was trying not to glare at him. I spotted Professor Quirrell, too, the nervous young man from the Leaky Cauldron. He was looking very peculiar in a large purple turban.

And now there were only three people left to be sorted. "Thomas, Dean," a Black boy even taller than Ron, joined the Gryffindor table. "Turpin, Lisa," became a Ravenclaw and then it was Ron's turn. He was pale green by now. I crossed my fingers under the table and a second later the hat had shouted, "RAVENCLAW!"

I clapped loudly with the rest as Ron collapsed into the chair next to me. I could tell his brothers were shocked, but happy for him.

"Zabini, Blaise," was made a Slytherin. Professor McGonagall rolled up her scroll and took the Sorting Hat away.

I looked down at my empty gold plate. I had only just realized how hungry I was. The pumpkin pasties seemed ages ago.

Albus Dumbledore had gotten to his feet. He was beaming at the students, his arms opened wide, as if nothing could have pleased him more than to see them all there.

"Welcome," he said. "Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet, I would like to say a few words. And here they are: Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak!

"Thank you!"

He sat back down. Everybody clapped and cheered. I swear he's mad I thought as I put some salad, fruit, and ham on my plate.

When everyone had eaten as much as they could, the remains of the food faded from the plates, leaving them sparkling clean as before. A moment later the desserts appeared. Blocks of ice cream in every flavor you could think of, apple pies, treacle tarts, chocolate eclairs and jam doughnuts, trifle, strawberries, Jell-O, rice pudding...

I helped myself to some vanilla ice cream and strawberries.

I, was starting to feel warm and sleepy, I looked up at the High Table again. Hagrid was drinking deeply from his goblet. Professor McGonagall was talking to Professor Dumbledore. Professor Quirrell, in his absurd turban, was talking to a teacher with greasy black hair, a hooked nose, and sallow skin.

Suddenly, the guy with greasy black hair looked at me for a few minutes, then looked away.

"Who's that teacher talking to Professor Quirrell?" I asked an older student.

"Oh, you know Quirrell already, do you? No wonder he's looking so nervous, that's Professor Snape. He teaches Potions, but he doesn't want to - everyone knows he's after Quirrell's job. Knows an awful lot about the Dark Arts, Snape." So that's one of my Godfathers.

I figured if you know a lot of stuff about the Dark Arts, then you know how to defend against them better.

I watched him for a while, but he didn't look at me again.

At last, the desserts too disappeared, and Professor Dumbledore got to his feet again. The hall fell silent.

"Ahem - just a few more words now that we are all fed and watered. I have a few start-of-term notices to give you."

"Fed and watered, what are we, dogs?" I muttered to Ron, he laughed a little.

"First years should note that the forest on the grounds is forbidden to all pupils. And a few of our older students would do well to remember that as well."

Dumbledore's twinkling eyes flashed in the direction of the Weasley twins.

"I have also been asked by Mr. Filch, the caretaker, to remind you all that no magic should be used between classes in the corridors."

"I don't think anybody follows that rule." I muttered.

"Quidditch trials will be held in the second week of the term. Anyone interested in playing for their house teams should contact Madam Hooch.

"And finally, I must tell you that this year, the third-floor corridor on the right-hand side is out of bounds to everyone who does not wish to die a very painful death."

I glared.

"And now, before we go to bed, let us sing the school song!" cried Dumbledore. I noticed that the other teachers' smiles had become rather fixed.

Dumbledore gave his wand a little flick, as if he was trying to get a fly off the end, and a long golden ribbon flew out of it, which rose high above the tables and twisted itself, snakelike, into words.

"Everyone pick their favorite tune," said Dumbledore, "and off we go!"

And the school bellowed:

"Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts,

Teach us something please,

Whether we be old and bald

Or young with scabby knees,

Our heads could do with filling

With some interesting stuff,

For now they're bare and full of air,

Dead flies and bits of fluff,

So teach us things worth knowing,

Bring back what we've forgot, just do your best, we'll do the rest,

And learn until our brains all rot."

Everybody finished the song at different times. At last, only the Weasley twins were left singing along to a very slow funeral march. Dumbledore conducted their last few lines with his wand and when they had finished, he was one of those who clapped loudest.

"Ah, music," he said, wiping his eyes. "A magic beyond all we do here! And now, bedtime. Off you trot!"

When we got to the entrance of the common room, we stopped when Penelope Clearwater the prefect of our house stopped and turned towards us.

"Now, to enter to common room, you must answer a riddle first." she said before turning to the portrait and waited.

"The more you take, the more you leave behind. What am I?" the portrait asked. I thought for a minute, than answered.

"Footsteps." I said. The portrait nodded and opened up.

I was speechless when I saw the common room. The furniture was blue and everything else was either white or light grey.

"Okay, the girls dorm is on the left, boys on the right. And when you get to third year, you get your own rooms. Goodnight everyone, sleep well." Penelope said.

When I got the dorm, I noticed our stuff already put away, so I grabbed a set of purple soft cotton pajamas, brushed by teeth, and went to bed.

A/N: I'm thinking of having Gryffindor and Ravenclaw together in classes and Hufflepuff and Slytherin together. Let me know what you think...


	5. AN

Does anybody know how to right about the DMLE? Because I can't seem to write it. I also can't seem to write an article about Sirius. So anybody that can or will help, please pm me.


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